The importance of the World Directory of Crystallographers

During the last IUCr Congress and General Assembly in Osaka, the Executive Committee invited me to succeed Yves Epelboin as General Editor of the WDC.  I accepted the appointment because I have some ideas for its future development; but I must also admit that I have been very much attached to the editorial effort involved in the WDC, which I have been involved with for almost half of its lengthy history.

Last year, in a short visit to Chester, I met and discussed some ideas with the operational staff. The problem of keeping the information updated is of primary importance. But what makes it different from the regular databases and search engines existing today in the World Wide Web? We all agreed that it is not a simple 'mailing-list'. The World Directory of Crystallographers is a list of professionals engaged in very specific research areas related to X-ray crystallography. It was created to establish new links, open new perspectives, create interaction between students and researchers and promote sharing of technical resources worldwide. It is up to the scientific community itself to bring to the directory that 'something else' that makes it so particularly useful. In an era of fast communication, certainly we must follow new trends, but we cannot disregard the importance of the contents of the information. It is essential that the entries are updated periodically. The mobility of registered members is greater than in olden times; but this is offset by current fast communication tools. Updating biographical information is as easy as ever; but we need more than an e-mail address. We need to know about the academic status and research interests for each entry.

As it is now, with the latest tools in the search engine of the IUCr WDC site one can find a registered crystallographer from any country in the world in a snap by searching on a family name. You can even see their pictures! When a Journal requests authors to appoint reviewers for the papers being submitted, just knowing the names of the specialists in a certain area is not enough. Consulting the WDC database can readily provide all the necessary details (institution, position, addresses). More: If you want to find information about groups of crystallographers in other countries you can obtain the information in several formats, according to your needs, by just one touch, pressing the control key and selecting the country. More interesting tools are being developed, and will be implemented after the general up-dating of the data during 2010.

We count on the community to improve and update our World Directory of Crystallographers. We will be trying hard during 2010 contacting National Committees from all countries listed. And for those who will attend the XXII International Congress in 2011 in Madrid, we will have a WDC 11 'up-dating station' at the IUCr booth. You will be able to access your entry and check your data for corrections and additions. I'll make sure to be there to help !